It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.
So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors newly published this month, though some July books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.
Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. This month, we have urban fantasy, epic fantasy, paranormal mysteries, fantasy romance, space opera, military science fiction, technothrillers, dragons, lamia, AI girlfriends, space marines, intergalactic royalty, crime-busting witches and much more.
As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.
And now on to the books without further ado:
Legacy Marines by Jonathan P. Brazee:
A Legacy among the stars. The children of tomorrow.
Esther and Noah Lysander are the twin children of General Ryck Lysander, Commandant of the Federation Marine Corps, leader of the Evolution, and Chairman of the Federation.
When they are told that their father and mother have been assassinated, they are both devastated. Cut adrift, they each decide to enlist in the Corps, but for different reasons.
Esther feels it is her duty to carry on the family legacy, confident that she can excel and reach the top. Noah simply wants to earn his father's pride, even if it's too late.
As children of General Lysander, they are not "normal" recruits.
To Steal the Sun by Melanie Cellier:
Gwen has discovered both the love she once lost and her courage. But her greatest challenge still lies before her. She has chosen to fight for her people and that means standing against the mountain queen and all the fears of her childhood.
Charlotte is ready to risk everything to save her husband and reverse the consequences of her mistakes. But freeing Henry means getting entangled in the mountain kingdom's fight for freedom and that fight might take the one thing Charlotte isn't willing to give.
Once again, the two girls must rely on each other if they hope to save the men they love and emerge unscathed from the evil that lies at the heart of the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.
If you enjoy clean romance, adventure, intrigue, found families, and friendship, then try the Four Kingdoms duology now which retells one classic fairy tale across two books!
The Alternate Girlfriend by Declan Conner:
Deceit is the oldest sin as Doug Carter will discover
Doug Carter's brilliant mind and sheltered upbringing have led him to a life of isolation. But when asked to beta test an AI pen pal site, he sees it as the perfect solution - an AI construct that can't cheat on him and fulfills his desire for a loyal lifetime partner. Creating a pen pal in the image of his ex-girlfriend, Doug's reality becomes blurred as the trial takes a dangerous turn. And when those with a connection to him start dying in mysterious circumstances, all signs point to Doug as the culprit.
As he races against time to uncover the truth, Doug realizes that his isolation may have been his worst mistake yet. With childhood enemies resurfacing and his own past coming back to haunt him, he must confront the deceit that has been lurking in the shadows all along.
The Price of Godhood by Chris Fox:
Things have never look so bleak. Saghir is on the run from the Avatar of Xakava, a city-sized demon that has already crippled the Spider-Mountain itself.
Calmora is besieged by Totarius's endless legions, and more defenders fall daily. Li's only hope is marrying Lord Indra to seal the Celestial Mountain. She must sacrifice our future together to ensure the survival of her people.
As for me? All I have to do is kill the eldest demon prince, my older and stronger brother, knowing that if he wounds me even slightly I will die. His wounds always kill.
If I survive I somehow must wed the flame, whatever that means, then walk through the Maw itself to become anointed by the cycle. Prophecy demands my death. Totarius seeks to ensure it.
Very well. I will face fate on my feet, and somehow, I will triumph.
Taming of the Brew by Lily Harper Hart:
Life in the French Quarter is quiet…which is exactly how Ofeila Archer likes it. She’s making plans for Christmas, trying not to fixate on the fact that her mother is picking up trash as part of her community service, and otherwise just lazing about.
Then life takes a turn, as it so often does in New Orleans, and her mother calls with a problem. It seems she’s found a body.
Ofelia and her fiancé Zach Sully race to Bywater and are shocked to find that Ofelia knew the victim. She went to school with him, and at one time, he was close friends with her brother Felix.
When Ofelia and Sully start digging, they find that the victim was into some shady stuff, including aligning himself with the sort of voodoo queens who don’t have the city’s best interests at heart.
That’s bad enough, but when the victim rises of his own volition in the morgue and lets himself out of the refrigerator, things get downright crazy.
Somebody is keeping a secret…and it’s a big one. Ofelia’s biggest problem is that she doesn’t know who it is. She’s determined to find out, though.
Christmas is close and Ofelia wants a happy holiday. She’s going to have to fight like spell to get it.
Even then, it might not be enough.
Prince Imperator by Fred Hughes:
Hazard had promised his mother that he would return and accept the crown. He just needed one last trip to the front to re-organize the Sol Fleet, then he would return home to rule. When he arrived, though, he found himself in the middle of a battle.
The fleet and empire no longer needed him at the front as a warrior; instead, they needed a diplomat. If Earth was to survive, Hazard would need to deal with a host of new alien races, and as emperor, only Hazard could do that. But, of course, he’d do it with a powerful fleet at his back.
There can only be one possible path to peace in this region of space, though. Hazard would need to confront the Zenkarr, the area’s dominant race. Nicknamed the teddy bears by the fleet, there was only one way to deal with them—head on and carrying a big stick. It was diplomacy Hazard could get behind, but will he be able to create a lasting peace, or are the teddy bears not quite as nice as they seem?
After many years in space, Jonathan receives the message he's been dreading: his father has taken a fall. He can no longer live by himself and Jonathan's cousin has managed to get him into a care home.
Jonathan is an only child, he is no longer in contact with his mother, and a deep sense of guilt forces him to return to Earth to look after his father's wellbeing.
Except his father has a secret. He's in poor health and rather confused, so Jonathan finds it hard to get to the bottom of it.
It's not like he has a lot of time, since he has to look for a job, a task which is proving surprisingly hard.
No one wants scientists, especially not if they've worked in space. But his father's secret shows how important it is to keep the work going. Not that governments will listen.
The honeymoon is over for Poet and Kade. After a blissful week off from the day-to-day grind of the circus—where the only problem they had to deal with was the weird snake that appeared on the front porch of their cabin—the newlyweds are back with their friends in Phoenix.
And nothing will ever be the same again.
Phoenix is a city run by a slither of lamia, and even though Raven tries to maintain her distance from them each year when the circus rolls around, that’s not really an option this time. The slither is now being run by her father and brother…and they have a favor to ask of their long-estranged daughter and sister.
It seems the slither is cursed. Not only can they not procreate, but it also appears they’re constantly being attacked by mummies that only have destruction on their minds.
Lamia have been around for thousands of years and yet they’re in danger of dying out…forever. Only Poet and crew can help them. But is that what’s in Raven’s best interests?
Raven has made a point to keep her family secrets…well, secret. Now she has a decision to make. She either has to help Poet save her people, or say goodbye to the past that continuously haunts her.
What decision will she make? And when the enemy becomes clear, who will have the strength to fight them?
The battle lines are about to be drawn.
All Out of Flux by Nazri Noor:
Time is running out.
Leon Alcantara and Max Drake are finding help in the most unlikely of places. A third dragon has manifested, promising Leon untold elemental power. Another specter from Max’s past returns to haunt him, presenting a tempting offer.
But everything comes with a price.
Perhaps the risk is worth the reward. More anomalies are erupting across Dos Lunas. The boys need all the help they can get against the rogue time mage responsible. The Quartz Spider has finally shown his hand, and only Max and Leon can stop him.
But how can they stop the enemy when the enemy is time itself?
Rawlins' Redemption by John J. Spearman:
The Union is gone. Interstellar travel is no longer safe. Enter ex-Union Navy Officer Cliff Rawlins.
More than four years after being wrongfully stripped of his rank and decorations in a court-martial stacked against him, ex-Union Navy Officer Cliff Rawlins suddenly finds himself a free man.
The galaxy to which he returns, however, is changing.
The Union of Free Planets is on the verge of dissolving. Many of the shadowy political players working behind the scenes to end the Union are the same people who sent Cliff away. Yet, in the coming political upheaval, Cliff glimpses an opportunity.
For centuries, people have relied upon the Union Navy to act as the policeman of the shipping lanes. With the end of the Union will come the end of the navy. Interstellar commerce is about to become fraught with danger.
Cliff has a way to use his expertise to provide secure transport across interstellar space. A mercenary navy to defend settled space and get rich doing it. After all, he deserves it for what he went through.
But there are enemies old and new who want him to fail. And this time, they want him dead...
